The 2015 Canadian U20 World Cup qualifying team was supposed to be different. That it was not was the continuation of a deeply troubling valley in Canadian youth national team soccer that’s continued without much substantive change through the present day.

The 2015 team entered CONCACAF World Cup qualifying in 2015 with no shortage of hyped players. Marco Bustos had already signed professionally with the Vancouver Whitecaps and was (and is) a rare attacking mind. Cyle Larin was less than two months away from embarking the single most productive rookie season in MLS history, and in fact he gave his MLS draft thank-you speech from the cloistered Canadian U20 camp in Jamaica. Sam Adekugbe, Marco Carducci, Jackson Farmer, Kianz Froese… the names stretched toward the horizon. This was, without much question, the best Canadian U20 team in living memory.

It also turned out to be the worst performance in a U20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Canadian history. C’est la vie.

Women’s soccer officially kicked off the Rio Olympics on Wednesday, and while the U.S. surveys the scene from atop its multi-colored red, white and blue throne, the rest of the world cues up its challenge.

Canada and Australia played their opener on Wednesday, and Canada’s starting lineup featured a number of college grads. Included in that list is Janine Beckie, who put the finishing touches on a Texas Tech career last fall without parallel. Notably, she scored 57 seconds into her first ever Tech match to spark a career in which she left Lubbock the career leader in almost every scoring category.

On Oct. 12, 2012, Canada beat Cuba 3-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in Toronto. Over the following two years, which spanned 16 games, Canada didn’t win again. Not once. The Canadians went 0-11-5 during a period of futility that started with a humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras that knocked them out of World Cup contention. Canada was out-scored 29-4 over that stretch. Brutal.

Good news, though, ye mounties. Canada broke that streak to pieces on Tuesday with a resounding 3-1 win over Jamaica, which, ugh, guys. Take in all the glorious highlights above.

Perhaps the futility is turning around. Perhaps Canada is quietly building a WORLD POWER in some snow-covered bunker north of the border. But here’s what we do know – the Globe and Mail is now trumpeting a three-game unbeaten streak. Which includes draws against Moldova and Bulgaria. The excitement is real. Have to start… somewhere?

So there’s this country called Martinique. It had only won one Gold Cup game in three previous appearances in the tournament. Perhaps its most infamous Gold Cup appearance was a cool 9-0 defeat to Mexico in 1993, which more or less set the over-under on how bad the country would lose again this year.

And then along comes Canada, all hopped up on maple syrup and lugging its skates out to midfield. Guys, Martinique beat Canada. Panama beat Mexico for the first time ever a couple hours later.

This was supposed to be a critical friendly match for the U.S. – or, as critical as a ‘friendly’ match can be. It was the last chance for the youngsters and new faces to make an impression on Jurgen Klinsmann before World Cup Qualifying. The match was impressionless (second word I’ve made up).

Save for maybe Kyle Beckerman and a little spunk from Josh Gatt, I didn’t see anything that moved me. Which, maybe was a blessing in disguise – I hate being disturbed when I’m sleeping.

The USMNT takes on Canada tonight, a match they’ve been training for over the past couple of weeks. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been leading those sessions by flying himself via helicopter from his Orange County, CA home to the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.

Yup, you read that right. Funny thing is, it’s surprisingly unsurprising. For starters, Klinsmann makes enough money to remodel the Home Depot Center and turn it into a second home (the Home Klinsmann Center does have a ring to it). And beyond that, doesn’t Klinsmann just strike you as the kind of guy who would fly helicopters just because? Of course he does. Jurgen Klinsmann: coach, helicopter pilot, international man of mystery.

We’re well into the heart of the USMNT camp in Carson, CA, and the countdown has begun for the Jan. 29 matchup with Canada.

The U.S. camp roster has transitioned from fitness to tactical work as they put together the game plan. Omar Gonzalez and Chris Wondolowski can be seen here discussing the action while somewhere off in the distance the Canadians are ardently preparing.

We were able to get our hands on some exclusive footage of team Canada’s captain getting ready for the big match after the jump.

The USMNT is in Los Angeles for the first camp of the year, a gathering that will prepare the unit for a match against Canada on January 29.

But the camp is definitely about more than that. This is an opportunity for players to make early impressions that will set the tone for 2013. Jurgen Klinsmann and the guys share their thoughts on the camp and the upcoming year.